pandemic

Table of Contents

Introduction & Top Questions References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Epidemic vs. pandemic: What's the difference?

second pandemic of the Black Death in Europe

The devastating history of pandemics

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Emergency hospital during 1918 Influenza epidemic, Camp Funston, Kansas.

How Long Did the Flu Pandemic of 1918 Last?

Marina Spelzini, a registered nurse, measures out an H1N1 vaccine shot at the Miami Dade County Health Department downtown clinic on November 3, 2009 in Miami, Florida. (influenza, swine flu)

When Was the Last Pandemic?

People wearing surgical masks (also called face mask or medical masks or safety masks) walk through the city center of Milan, Italy on Feb. 23, 2020. Coronavirus disease COVID-19 pandemic

How Do Face Masks Control the Spread of Disease?

Infographic on the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19

Influenza Pandemic of 1918–19 Chart

Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.

U.S. Death Toll During Major Events

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Lake Mead (the impounded Colorado River) at the Hoover Dam. The light-coloured band of rock above the shoreline shows the decrease in water level in the first few years of the 21st century.

6 Lakes That Are Drying Up

Artist interpretation of space asteroids impacting earth and moon. Meteoroids, meteor impact, end of the world, danger, destruction, dinosaur extinct, Judgement Day, Doomsday Predictions, comet

Major Mass Extinctions

Scolex (head) of the tapeworm Taenia solium. The hooks of the scolex enable the tapeworm to attach to the intestinal wall.

Uninvited Guests: The 7 Worst Parasitic Worms

San Francisco, California/USA-1/18/20: Womens March at Civic Center marching with signs of political protest regarding equality also embracing 2020 presidential candidates and celebrating equality

How Does the U.S. Government Define the Difference Between a Protest and a Riot?

Paul Revere. "The bloody massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the 29th Regt.," engraved by Paul Revere. Boston Massacre.

There’s a Riot Goin’ On: Riots in U.S. History (Part One)

Demystified - Do Lemmings Really Commit Mass Suicide? illustration

Do Lemmings Really Commit Mass Suicide?

Middle East bee locator map

Are the Middle East and the Near East the Same Thing?

pandemic: Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Jun 02, 2025

News •

Could poverty trigger the next pandemic? • June 2, 2025, 6:24 AM ET (Medical Xpress)

Plague bacteria became less deadly to last longer, study finds • May 29, 2025, 9:55 AM ET (Straits Times)

Photos and Videos

second pandemic of the Black Death in Europe

Epidemic vs. pandemic: What's the difference?

The devastating history of pandemics

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Topics

force majeure science disaster epidemic famine natural disaster complex humanitarian emergency

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

cholera: The first six pandemics

Quiz

A Yorkshire terrier dressed up as a veterinarian or doctor on a white background. (dogs)

A Visit with the Word Doctor: Medical Vocabulary Quiz

44 Questions from Britannica’s Most Popular Health and Medicine Quizzes

Warm water fuels Hurricane Katrina. This image depicts a 3-day average of actual dea surface temperatures for the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, from August 25-27, 2005.

Disasters of Historic Proportion